Fire alarm and detector system



April 3, 1934 M SOUNEY ET 1,953,441

FIRE ALARM AND DETECTOR SYSTEM Filed May 1, 1931 39 fnvemars:

Patented Apr. 3, 1934 PATENT-OFFICE UNITED STATES 1,953,441 FIRE ALARM AND DETECTOR SYSTEM Michael '1. Souney, Leon Toczko, and James Moore, New Britain, Conn.

Application May 1, 1931, Serial No. 534,278

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in fire alarm and detector systems of the form involving the use of a plurality of similar devices that are distributed about the establishment that is to be protected and are individually adapted by cooperating electric means and devices to release a fire alarm of some kind responsive to the melting of a fusible connection and which devices are provided with means for locking the armatures of all of the devices of the set after such release of the alarm, and the object of our improvement is to produce a fire alarm and detector system that is constructed and arranged so that such locking of the armatures of the electro-magnets of the individual devices will be different for the particular device that happens to have served to so release the fire alarm from the locking of the armatures of the other members of the set so as to provide an indication and thus a means of detection as to the portion of the protected establishment in which the fire originated.

In the accompanying drawing:--

Figure 1 is a plan view of one of the fire alarmdetector devices that are used with the present showing of our improved fire alarm and detector system, the wire connections being indicated by means of broken lines. v

Fig. 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale of the moving parts of the device shown in Fig. 1, with the armature in the outward locked position, indicating that this particular device had shifted from the normal position of Fig. 1 to the position after having served as the alarm release.

Fig. 3 shows the corresponding parts of one of the other individuals of the setwith the armature locked in the inner or attracted position.

Fig. 4 shows a diagram of connections.

Our improved fire alarm and detector system involves the use of a plurality of alarm-detector devices 10 that are distributed about the building or establishment of whatever character that is to beprotected by the system and that are individually constructed and arranged and incorporated in the system with suitable electric power supply means and the needed electrical and mechanically operated devices so that responsive to the fusing of a metal part that is provided as a thermostatic element certain desired results will be attained.

7 Each device 10 has a pair of overlapping parts 11 that arein effect soldered together along the meeting line 12 by a special metal alloy that is devised to soften and fuse at a definite temperature. The overlapping parts 11 are'the free ends 'of lengths 13 of wire thatwhen connected. along the line 12 serves to form a tension rod 14 between a fixed lug 15, shown at the left end in Fig. 1, and a lever 16 at the right and that serves normally to position said lever 16 in opposition to the tension spring 1'7.

Release of the lever 16 responsive to melting of the fusible metal at the line or joint 12 serves to effect the release of whatever fire alarm means may be provided; and serves to effect the locking of the armature 18 of the particular device 10 that has been exposed. to the fusing temperature so as to be separated from its electro-magnet 19 by a space 20 that is substantially the same as in the normal spaced position; serves to efiect the closing of a circuit for energizing all of the coils 21 of all of the electro-magnets 19 so as to tend to draw all of the armatures towards the respective magnets. The armature of the particular device 10 that happened to serve as the alarm releasing device or alarm device, being looked as mentioned, may be moved slightly to the extent permitted by the locking device or locking means but will be withheld from moving the full extent towards the magnet that would be permitted except for the effect of the locking 30. means. At the moment of the alarm the armatures of the devices other than the alarm device are free to be drawn forcibly by their respective magnets to the full extent, involving face-to-face contact with the magnet poles in a properly con- 35 structed device. Thus the free armatures may be said to be drawn to the attracted positions. After the free armatures have been so drawn to their attracted positions theyare each and all checked against accidental movement away from such attracted positions.

' The ends 22 of the tension rod 14 are in'the form of hooks that are hooked into notches 23, the one in the fixed lug 15 and the other adjacent the free end of the lever 16. The lever 16 extends inwardly from the notch 23 past the pivotscrew 24; is provided with a contact point 25 adjacent said screw 24; and at the inner end is provided with a laterally directed hook-arm 26. Said hook-arm 26 is directed generally towards the armature 18, is normallyheld back clear of the end of the armature by the fusible connection, the armature being normally held awayin spaced relation from its magnet, and the hook-arm 26 may be said to be aimed at or in registration with the space 20 between the armature 18 and the magnet 19.

- Said hook-arm 26 is thus adapted to be entered into the space 20 so as toprevent the movement of the armature to the inner fully attracted posiclosing of certain electric circuits.

The armature 18 is supported from a fixed post.

28 by means of a spring 29 in a well known manner and is normally heldv separated from the magnet 19 to the extent indicated by the open space 20 by means of a positioning. spring 30,. As shown, said spring 30 is made offiat strip. The

butt-end-face of the armature 18 at the free end thereof is exposed and accessible. The flat spring 30 is supported in any proper manner by one end and the body portionthereof is arranged to cooperate with said butt-end-face for maintaining the armature 18 in the normal spaced relation from the magnet mentioned. This is done by the spring 30 by having a-portion ofits fiat faceresiliently engaged with said butt-end-face. The body portion of the spring 30 is spaced from the armature 18 by a space that may be regarded as an extension of the open space 20- and isdirected generally at right angles tothe armature and at right angles to the plane of movement thereof.

The engagement of the spring 30- with the armature 18 is appreciably forceful, due to the resiliency of the spring, and thus the one device serves normally to position the other. The at traction of the magnet i'ssufiicient to overcome such forceful engagement of the spring withthe armature. Energizing the coils 21- of the magnet tends to attract the armaturetothe full-y attracted position and does this when the armature is not obstructed.

Movement of the armature towards the magnet releases the spring 30 from the restraining efi'ect of the armature under the normal position of the parts so that the body portion of: the spring springs into a position over the armature so as to latch the same against outward movement away from the magnet and to its normal position.

The contact 25 on the lever 16 cooperates with a fixed contact 32; is normally held in contact therewith by the fusible metal joint 12; and breaks contact therewith when the joint fuses and the spring 17' actuates the lever 16. The contacts 25 and 32 are in a circuit that isv normally active and that contain the coils 33 of the magnet 34 of the relay 35. Thus the armature 36 of said relay 35 is normally drawn against its magnet 34 and whatever devices are controlled by said armature 36 are inactive. When the contact is broken between 25 and 32 the magnet coils 33 are de-energized and the magnet armature 36 is free to be moved and is moved to eirect the results controlled thereby. Said results comprise the The effect or closing such circuits is the release alarm means, which may be of a plurality of forms.

Thus, the armature 36 carries a plurality of bridge-plugs 37' that are normally-individually in spaced relation to the opposed pair of laterally spaced contacts 38 when the coils '33 are ener gized and responsive to the de-energizing of said coils the adjacent mating members making up the respective pairs of such contacts 38 are bridged by the respective bridge-plugs 37'. All

1,953,441 tion immediately that the spring 17 is permitted of the relay coil contacts 25 and 32 are in one and the same circuit 39 that comprises the relay coils 33 and also may comprise a regulating resistance 40, the current source being indicated as a single battery 41.

One plug 37 and its pair of relay-controlled contacts 38, as shown, close an internal circuit 42 that is generally within the system, comprising all of the coils 21 of the detector devices 10, and has its supply in the two batteries 43. Another plug 37 and its contacts 38 control a circuit 44 that may extend outside and operate such alarm means asmay be provided, and which means are indicated by the alarm-bell 45 and the supply battery 46.

The internal circuit 42 may be independent, operating from the batteries 43 only, or, as shown, may include the battery 41 and a resistance 45.

The batteries may be connected as floating batteries in a rectifier charging system.

In the arrangement shown, storage battery 41 serves to supply current for keeping the circuit 39 closed, which circuit includes the coils 33: of the magnet 34 and the series of mating contact points 25' and 32'. The amount of current therein is adjusted by means oi the resistance 40.

Storage battery 43 supplies currentto the coils 21 of the magnets 19 when circuit 39 is open and which is opened under operating conditions by; the meltirr of any one of the different-fuses along the individual meeting lines 12. These coils 12 are in circuit 42 and resistance 45 adjusts the current thereof.

We claim as our invention:-

1. In a fire alarm system, the combination of aplural ity of similar indicating devices, each device including an electromagnet, an armature and means biasing the latter from the former to a normal position and having means for latching said armature in attracted position, armature blocking means and mounting means therefor permitting movement of said blocking means to a position between the armature and magnet to prevent movement of thearmature away from its normal position, means normally biasing the blocking means to the blocking position, means, including a fusible member, for holding said blocking means away from its biased position between the armature and the electro-magnet, a pair of contacts norm-ally held in engagement by said blocking means when it is in the last named position, said contacts being separated when said blocking means is released by thefusing of said fusible member, a-normally-closed detector circuit in which the pairs of contacts of each of sa d I indicator devices are serially included a sec- 0nd normally open alarm circuit, a third normally open circuit in which the coils of the electromagnets of each device are included, a source of electrical energy for the circuits, and relay means in said detector circuit for closing said second and third circuits when said detector circuit is deenergized.

2. Ina fire-alarm detector system, a detector dev ce comprising an electromagnet, an armas ture, and means biasing the latter from the former to a normal positionand having means for latching said armature in the attracted position, armature blocking means and mounting meanstherefor. permitting movement of said blocking means to a position between the armature and magnet to prevent movement of the armature away from its normal position, means normally biasing the blocking means tothe blocking position, means, including a fusible member, for holding said blocking means away from its biased position between the armature and the electromagnet, and a pair of contacts normally held in engagement by said blocking means when it is in the last named position, said contacts being separated when said blocking means is released by the fusing of the fusible member.

3. In a detector for use in a fire alarm detector system, an electro-magnet and an armature therefor, said armature being supported for moving between a first position in spaced relation to the magnet and a second attracted position and having an end that is free and accessible, a springblade adapted to make resilient contact with said end when the armature is in the first position and to move over and above said armature when in the second position, a swinging member opera tively supported for movement towards the armature, provided with a spring for effecting such movement, and having a hook for being entered within the space that is traveled by said armature in such movement from the first to the second position, a fusible connection for restraining such movement of the swinging member and its hook, and a pair of contacts held in engagement when said swinging member is so restrained by the fusible connection, said contacts being separated when the swinging member is released by the fusing of the fusible connection.

MICHAEL T. SOUNEY.

LEON TOCZKO.

JAMES MOORE. 

